Translating device



April 27, 1948. J. J. ANTALEK TRANSLATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1944mj-yfm BY ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 27, 1948 2,440,565 TRANSLATING DEVICEJohn J. Antalek, Chicago,

and Corporation,

Raul

tion of Illinois Chicago,

Ill., assignor to The Ill., a corpora- Application September 19, 1944,Serial No. 554,761 4 Claims. (Cl. Z50-27.5)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electricalsound-translating dechanical into electrical energy.

The objects of this invention are to provide a translating device whichis relatively free of amsubject to atmospheric variations, and whichwill require a minimum amplification. With these objects in view, I

tion, in

In another form of the invention, at least one of the electrodes of thetube is controlled by a diaphragm or diaphragms which are vibrated bysound waves, thus producing electrical waves which can be used tocontrol a sound recorder of any type, a sound reproducer such as apublic address system, a broadcasting station, or any othercommunication system.

Still another form of the invention is an oscillograph which can be usedin the optical or phonographic registration of sound or any other typeof mechanical vibrations. In this case, at least one of the electrodesis controlled by one or more diaphragms; the electrode or electrodescontrol one or more electronic beams producing a variable amount ofexposure on a radiation-sensitive surface, such as a film, eitherdirectly, after having passed through a metal window in the tube,

A variable light line thus produced may be used to register the sound orany other mechanical vibrations on a photographic iilm passing the tubeat a constant speed. Such a device is particularly useful in a, portablesound lm camera or a combined sound-picture camera which produces soundand picture on the saine iilm with a minimum of equipment.

The device may also be usefully applied in seismographic or geologicaldetecting devices in which mechanical vibrations of a desired frequencyrange passing through the various strata of the earth aretranslated intowaves of electrical energy which permit the establishment of the exactlocation of these strata.

A further application of the invention is found in listening deviceswhere portability and rapidity oi operation are of particularimportance.

the appended claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated 1n Fig. 1 whichrepresents a. longitua phonographic sound reproducer or an electricalpickup;

Fig. 2 represents a transverse section along lines '2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a modification representing a microphone device;

Fig. 4 shows a second modication of a microphone device; and

Figs. 5 and 6 show two modifications representing oscillographs for therecording of sound tracks of diiferent types.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Fig.1,

with two grid 4 passes through a diaphragm ID, H of resilient material,such as Kovar, aluminum foil or any other flexible, vacuum-tightmaterial. The ilexibility of the material maybe caused, or be increasedif necessary, by providing one or more corrugations l'2 in the They areof circular shape and surround stylus I3 dividing the diaphragm into aninner and outer portion Il) and II. The outer portion II of thediaphragm is sealed into a circular opening in the side wall of envelopeI while the inner or central portion I!) carries electrode 4 and stylusI3.

The diaphragm III, II may consist of one piece or of two pieces, arelatively light, inner diaphragm II) welded to a relatively heavy,outer diaphragm I I sealed into the side wall of envelope I.

The flexibility of the diaphragm serves to facilitate the accuratetransmission of mechanical vibrations from the outside of the tube to aninner electrode and this increases the sensitivity of the device andreduces undesired resonance effect. In fact, the natural frequency rangeof the vibrating mechanism can be reduced. AThe oscillations of thesystem are damped so as to cause vibrations to follow the stylus asaccurately as vpossible in the rhythm of the sound Waves impressed uponit.

Both the diaphragm portions consist of the same or different materials,such as aluminum, Kovar or chrome nickel. 'Ihe outer portion which is.sealed into the wall of the envelope may be of annular shape and arelatively light and flexible inner diaphragm of circular shape iswelded thereto. The heavier plate can be more easily sealed into theglass wall while the lighter plate can be easily attached to the heavierplate. In this way, a good and solid seal is obtained withoutinterfering with the mechanical requirements of the vibrating elements.

It is not necessary that the vibrating portion of thediaphragm in itselfbe flexible but it is important that it be flexibly suspended and thatit vibrate freely with respect to the wall or with respect to theheavier portion of the diaphragm. Very often, in order to preventfrequency distortion, it is required that the vibrating diaphragm besuspended so as to vibrate as a whole and be as rigid and as light aspossible. In this way, not only resonance effects but also undesiredhardiaphragm I0, I I.

monies may be reduced to a minimum.

The diaphragm or diaphragms should be preferably of a material havingsubstantially the same thermal coeiiicients as the adjoining glass ormetal part. Kovar is particularly recommended because it can be easilysealed in the lglass envelope.

Where the extension 9 passes through portion It, it is sealed thereto bysilver solder, as indicated at I4.

The outside portion of extension 9 is attached to a stylus holder or toa permanent phonographic stylus I3 adapted to be set into the soundgrooves of the phonographic record.

Anode 5 is connected through a lead-in wire I5 passing through theenvelope I with an amplifier I6 arranged to amplify the output of thedevice to the extent to which this may be needed, in addition to theainpliiication eiected byl the reproducer itself. Preferably, the directcurrent supply 'I forms part of the amplifier to supply iilament currentto the tubes thereof as well as to the filament 2 of the reproducer.

As will be clear from the preceding, when the stylus I3 is vibratedunder the control of the sound record, it will vibrate part III andcontrol grid 4. Thecontrol lgrid will vibrate in .a plane substantiallyparallel with the plane of shield '3 and, thus, vary the stream ofelectrons flowing from filament 2 tothe plate 5 in accordance with v thesound wave.

4 In Fig. 3, electrode or grid 4 is attached, Welded or soldereddirectly to the inner surface of part III which is formed and arrangedas the diaphragm of a microphone, and is vibrated, e. g., by sound. GridII of the tube is caused to move in its plane perpendicular to theelectron beam, thus preventing more or less electrons from reachingplate anode 5. In this way, the electrons reaching the anode are variedin accordance with the mechanical vibrations impressed on part Il).

Instead of using a diaphragm such as III as a direct receiver for themechanical Waves, a separate microphone diaphragm may be attached to itsouter surface extending from part I0 perpendicular thereto similar tothe arrangement of stylus I3 in Fig. y1; or such a stylus I3 may simplybe replaced by a microphone diaphragm extending into the atmosphereperpendicular to part III, asy shown in Fig. 4, at I1.

In this case, modulations of the electron beam are caused by diaphragmI0 in a similar manner to those produced by stylus I3 in Fig. l.

The electron beam produced by the filament 2 may be directed through acylindrical or ringshaped anode onto a fluorescent screen, as shown inFigs. 5 and 6.

In Fig. 5, a recorder tube is illustrated diagrammatically in which adiaphragm, while vibrating in the rhythm of sound waves, cuts ofi moreor less from the width of the electron-beam emitted from filament 2.Thus, after passing a cylindrical anode I8, it produces a spot ofvarying length on the fluorescent screen I9 mounted on the inside oftube I. This spot is projected in a well-known manner through Vanoptical system 29 onto the film 2l which runs at a constant speed pastthe tube I in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of thesystem 2c or to the-axis of the electron beam produced by the tube I. Inthis way, a sound track of the variable area type can be produced on thefilm 2 I.

Fig. 6 shows a modification of Fig. 45 in which a diaphragm such asshown in Fig, 4 is used to produce electrode movements similar to thoseproduced in Fig. l. An electron'beam controlled in this manner, afterpassing cylinder I3, is used to produce a light spot of varyingintensity on the fluorescent screen I9 arranged on the inner 'side lofthe tube I.

The light thus produced on fluorescent screen I9 is projected through anappropriate optical system 2B onto film 2|, producing there a light lineof constant area but of variable intensity resulting in a sound track ofthe variable density type, as is well known in the 'art of photographicsound recording. y

Ihe invention is not limited to the electrode controls shown. It ispossible,` for instance,l to increase the output of the tube byincluding other electrodes, grids and plates in the tube, of any desiredconstruction and arrangement, -as is well known in the art of tubemanufacture. i

It is also possible to control the electron beam or beams by means ofother electrodes of any jdesired shape arranged in the path of theelectron beams, such as screen grids, deflection plates, anodes, etc. Ifrequired, not only one but several of such electrodes may be causedtovibrate in accordance with mechanical vibrations im pressedupon theseelectrodes from the outside ci the tube, without exceeding the scopev ofthis invention.

to amplify still further the effect ofthe electrode control.

of this invention.

Also, if required, the tube may comprise a double insulating unit, eachcomprising a diarange of frequencies and another diaphragm another rangeof frequencies. In this way, a more faithful reproduction of the usefulfrequency range can be assured.

In sound recording, it would result in two duce the lower frequencies ofthe audible range and the other electron beam were used to reproduce thehigher frequencies of the electron beams.

Another possibility is to control one electron beam out of phase with,or in phase opposition to, the other electron beam to produce a soundrecord of the push-pull type. With a smaller phase dilerence between thetwo sound tracks, stereophonic effects may be obtained.

It is also possible, without exceeding the scope of this invention, tobuild in the tube rectiers, filters, and any other electrical circuitsnecessary to transmit the mechanical tages of the tube are maintainedwhile a maximum of record fidelity.

What I claim is:

1. An electron discharge device for translating mechanical energy intoattaining 3. An electron discharge device as in claim 1, in which theenvelope contains an inert gas at substantially atmospheric pressure.

4. An electron discharge device as in claim 1, in which the means forreceiving comprising a iiuorescent screen.

JOHN J. ANTALEK.

REFEREN CES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES ser. No. 374,950, schotels (A. P.a), published June 15, 1943.

